Mojca f SlovenePossibly a Slovene diminutive of
Marija. Alternatively, it could be related to Slovene
moj meaning
"my, mine".
Mojmír m Czech, SlovakDerived from the Slavic elements
moji meaning "my" and
miru meaning "peace" or "world". This was the name of a 9th-century ruler of Moravia.
Mokosh f Slavic MythologyDerived from Slavic
mok meaning
"wet, moist". Mokosh was a Slavic goddess of weaving, women, water and fertility. She was often depicted as a woman with a large head and long arms.
Molly f EnglishMedieval diminutive of
Mary, now often used independently. It developed from
Malle and
Molle, other medieval diminutives. James Joyce used this name in his novel
Ulysses (1922), where it belongs to Molly Bloom, the wife of the main character.
Momoka f JapaneseFrom Japanese
百 (momo) meaning "hundred" or
桃 (momo) meaning "peach" combined with
花 (ka) meaning "flower" or
香 (ka) meaning "fragrance". Other kanji combinations are possible.
Momoko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
百 (momo) meaning "hundred" or
桃 (momo) meaning "peach" combined with
子 (ko) meaning "child". This name can be constructed from other kanji combinations as well.
Mona 1 f Irish, EnglishAnglicized form of
Muadhnait. It is also associated with Greek
monos "one" and Leonardo da Vinci's painting the
Mona Lisa (in which case it is a contraction of Italian
ma donna meaning "my lady").
Monday m & f English (African)From the English word for the day of the week, which was derived from Old English
mona "moon" and
dæg "day". This can be given to children born on Monday, especially in Nigeria.
Monet f & m VariousFrom a French surname that was derived from either
Hamon or
Edmond. This was the surname of the French impressionist painter Claude Monet (1840-1926).
Monica f English, Italian, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Late RomanMeaning unknown, most likely of Berber or Phoenician origin. In the 4th century this name was borne by a North African saint, the mother of Saint
Augustine of Hippo, whom she converted to Christianity. Since the Middle Ages it has been associated with Latin
moneo "advisor" and Greek
monos "one".
... [more] Monika f German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Czech, Slovak, Polish, Slovene, Croatian, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, LatvianForm of
Monica used in various languages.
Monroe m & f EnglishFrom a Scottish surname meaning
"from the mouth of the Roe". The Roe is a river in Northern Ireland. Two famous bearers of the surname were American president James Monroe (1758-1831) and American actress Marilyn Monroe (1926-1962).
... [more] Monta f LatvianModern Latvian name, possibly from Latin
mons "mountain".
Montague m English (Rare)From an aristocratic English surname meaning
"sharp mountain", from Old French
mont agu. In Shakespeare's tragedy
Romeo and Juliet (1596) this is the surname of
Romeo and his family.
Montana f & m English (Modern)From the name of the American state, which is derived from Latin
montanus "mountainous".
Monte m English, ArmenianEither a diminutive of
Montgomery or from the Spanish or Italian vocabulary word meaning "mountain". Its use as an Armenian name is inspired by the Armenian-American revolutionary Monte Melkonian (1957-1993).
Montgomery m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"Gumarich's mountain" in Norman French. A notable bearer of this surname was Bernard Montgomery (1887-1976), a British army commander during World War II.
Montserrat f CatalanFrom the name of a mountain near Barcelona, the site of a monastery founded in the 10th century. The mountain gets its name from Latin
mons serratus meaning
"jagged mountain".
Montu m Egyptian MythologyFrom Egyptian
mnṯw meaning
"nomad". In Egyptian mythology he was the god of war, depicted as a man with the head of a falcon or a bull.
Mór 1 f Medieval IrishMeans
"great" in Irish. This was a popular medieval Irish name. It was probably given in some cases as an alternative to
Máire, which was considered too sacred for general use.
Morana f Slavic Mythology, CroatianFrom a Slavic root meaning
"death, plague". In Slavic mythology this was the name of the goddess of winter and death.
Moray m ScottishFrom the name of the area of Moray in Scotland or the surname derived from it (see
Moray).
Mordecai m Biblical, HebrewMeans
"servant of Marduk" in Persian. In the Old Testament Mordecai is the cousin and foster father of
Esther. He thwarted a plot to kill the Persian king, though he made an enemy of the king's chief advisor
Haman.
Mordred m Welsh Mythology, Arthurian RomanceFrom Welsh
Medraut, possibly from Latin
moderatus meaning
"controlled, moderated". In Arthurian legend Mordred was the illegitimate son (in some versions nephew) of King
Arthur. Mordred first appears briefly (as
Medraut) in the 10th-century
Annales Cambriae, but he was not portrayed as a traitor until the chronicles of the 12th-century Geoffrey of Monmouth. While Arthur is away he seduces his wife
Guinevere and declares himself king. This prompts the battle of Camlann, which leads to the deaths of both Mordred and Arthur.
Morgan 1 m & f Welsh, English, FrenchFrom the Old Welsh masculine name
Morcant, which was possibly derived from Welsh
mor "sea" and
cant "circle". Since the 1980s in America
Morgan has been more common for girls than boys, perhaps due to stories of
Morgan le Fay or the fame of actress Morgan Fairchild (1950-).
Morgan 2 f Arthurian RomanceModern form of
Morgen, which was used by Geoffrey of Monmouth in the 12th century for the Arthurian sorceress Morgan le Fay, who was unnamed in earlier stories. Geoffrey probably did not derive it from the Welsh masculine name
Morgan, which would have been spelled
Morcant in his time. It is likely from Old Welsh
mor "sea" and the suffix
gen "born of".
Moriah f English (Modern)From Hebrew
מֹרִיָה (Moriyah) possibly meaning "seen by
Yahweh". This is a place name in the Old Testament, both the land where
Abraham is to sacrifice
Isaac and the mountain upon which
Solomon builds the temple. They may be the same place. Since the 1980s it has occasionally been used as a feminine given name in America.
Moriko f JapaneseFrom Japanese
森 (mori) meaning "forest" and
子 (ko) meaning "child". Other kanji combinations are also possible.
Morley m English (Rare)From a surname that was originally from an Old English place name meaning
"marsh clearing".
Morna f ScottishAnglicized form of
Muirne used by James Macpherson in his poem
Fingal (1761), in which it is borne by the mother of the hero
Fingal.
Morpheus m Greek MythologyDerived from Greek
μορφή (morphe) meaning
"shape", referring to the shapes seen in dreams. In Greek mythology Morpheus was the god of dreams.
Morrígan f Irish MythologyMeans either
"demon queen" or
"great queen", derived from Old Irish
mor "demon, evil spirit" or
mór "great, big" combined with
rígain "queen". In Irish mythology Morrígan (called also The Morrígan) was a goddess of war and death who often took the form of a crow.
Morticia f Popular CultureFrom the American English word
mortician meaning
"undertaker, funeral director", ultimately derived from Latin
mortis meaning "death". This name was created for the mother on the
Addams Family television series (1964-1966). She was based on an unnamed recurring character in cartoons by Charles Addams, starting 1938.
Mortimer m EnglishFrom an English surname that was derived from the name of a town in Normandy, itself meaning
"dead water, still water" in Old French.
Morton m EnglishFrom an English surname that was originally derived from a place name meaning
"moor town" in Old English.
Morven f ScottishFrom the name of a region in western Scotland, also called
Morvern or in Gaelic
A' Mhorbhairne, meaning
"the big gap". This is the location of Fingal's kingdom in James Macpherson's 18th-century poems.
Morwenna f Cornish, WelshFrom Old Cornish
moroin meaning
"maiden, girl" (related to the Welsh word
morwyn). This was the name of a 6th-century Cornish saint, said to be one of the daughters of
Brychan Brycheiniog.
Moses m English, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical LatinFrom the Hebrew name
מֹשֶׁה (Mosheh), which is most likely derived from Egyptian
mes meaning
"son", but could also possibly mean
"deliver" in Hebrew. The meaning suggested in the Old Testament of
"drew out" from Hebrew
משה (mashah) is probably an invented etymology (see
Exodus 2:10).
... [more] Mostyn m WelshFrom the name of a town in northern Wales, which is probably derived from Old English elements meaning
"moss town".
Mot m Semitic MythologyMeans
"death" in Ugaritic. This was the name of the Ugaritic god of death and the lord of the netherworld. He was a son of the supreme god
El.
Motecuhzoma m Indigenous American, NahuatlMeans
"he becomes angry like a lord" in Nahuatl, from
mo- "himself",
tēcu- "lord" and
zōma "become angry, frown". This name was borne by two emperors of the Aztec Empire.
Mowgli m LiteratureCreated by Rudyard Kipling for a character in
The Jungle Book (1894) and its sequel (1895), in which Mowgli is a feral boy who was raised by wolves in the jungle of central India. His name, given to him by his adopted wolf parents, is said to mean
"frog" in the stories, though Kipling admitted the name was made up.
Mu m & f ChineseFrom Chinese
慕 (mù) meaning "admire, desire",
木 (mù) meaning "tree, wood", or other characters with similar pronunciations.
Muadhnait f Irish (Rare)Means
"little noble one", derived from the Old Irish poetic word
muad meaning "noble, good" combined with a diminutive suffix. This was the name of a 6th-century saint, a sister of Saint Mo Laisse.
Mubiru m Eastern African, GandaMeaning unknown. This is the name of a figure in Ganda mythology associated with forests and hunting.
Müge f TurkishMeans
"lily of the valley" in Turkish (species Convallaria majalis).
Muhammad m Arabic, Urdu, Punjabi, Pashto, Bengali, Tajik, Uzbek, Indonesian, Malay, AvarMeans
"praised, commendable" in Arabic, derived from the root
حَمِدَ (hamida) meaning "to praise". This was the name of the prophet who founded the Islamic religion in the 7th century. According to Islamic belief, at age 40 Muhammad was visited by the angel
Gabriel, who provided him with the first verses of the Quran. Approximately 20 years later he conquered Mecca, the city of his birth, and his followers controlled most of the Arabian Peninsula at the time of his death in 632.
... [more] Muir m ScottishFrom a Scottish surname, derived from Scots
muir meaning
"moor, fen". This name could also be inspired by Scottish Gaelic
muir meaning
"sea".
Muire f IrishIrish form of
Maria (see
Mary). This form is typically reserved for the Virgin Mary, with
Máire used as a given name.
Muirgen f Irish MythologyMeans
"born of the sea" in Irish. In Irish legend this was the name of a woman (originally named
Lí Ban) who was transformed into a mermaid. After 300 years she was brought to shore, baptized, and transformed back into a woman.
Muirne f Irish MythologyFrom Irish
muirn meaning either
"affection, endearment" or
"festivity, exuberance". In Irish legend this was the name of the mother of
Fionn mac Cumhaill. She is also called
Muirenn.
Mukesha m HinduismMeans
"ruler of Muka" in Sanskrit. This is another name of the Hindu god
Shiva, given to him because he killed Muka, a demon in the form of a wild boar.
Mulan f Chinese MythologyFrom Chinese
木兰 (mùlán) meaning
"magnolia". This is the name of a legendary female warrior who disguises herself as a man to take her ailing father's place when he is conscripted into the army.
Mumbi f Eastern African, KikuyuMeans
"she who shapes" in Kikuyu. In Kikuyu mythology Mumbi was the wife of Gikuyu and the mother of his nine daughters.
Mumtaz m & f Arabic, UrduMeans
"distinguished" in Arabic. The Taj Mahal was built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as tomb for his wife Mumtaz Mahal (1593-1631).
Muna f ArabicMeans
"wishes, desires", from the plural of Arabic
منية (munyah).
Mungo m ScottishMeaning uncertain, possibly from a Brythonic phrase meaning
"my dear". This was a nickname of the 6th-century Saint
Kentigern.
Mupitsukupʉ m Indigenous American, ComancheMeans
"old owl" in Comanche, derived from
mupitsi "owl" and
tsukupʉ "old man". This name was borne by a 19th-century chief of the Penateka Comanche.
Muriel f English, French, Irish, Scottish, Medieval Breton (Anglicized)Anglicized form of Irish
Muirgel and Scottish
Muireall. A form of this name was also used in Brittany, and it was first introduced to medieval England by Breton settlers in the wake of the Norman Conquest. In the modern era it was popularized by a character from Dinah Craik's novel
John Halifax, Gentleman (1856).
Murphy m & f EnglishFrom a common Irish surname, the Anglicized form of Irish Gaelic
Ó Murchadha, itself derived from the given name
Murchadh. As a given name, it has been borne by female characters on the American television series
Murphy Brown (1988-1998) and the movie
Interstellar (2014).
Murron f Popular CultureUsed in the 1995 movie
Braveheart for William Wallace's wife, who is murdered early in the film. In reality, Wallace may have been married to a woman named
Marion.
Murtada m ArabicMeans
"chosen" in Arabic. This is an epithet of
Ali, the fourth caliph.
Murugan m Hinduism, TamilPossibly from a Dravidian word meaning
"youth". This is the name of a Tamil war god identified with
Skanda.
Mustafa m Arabic, Turkish, Bosnian, UrduMeans
"the chosen one" in Arabic, an epithet of
Muhammad. This was the name of four Ottoman sultans. Another famous bearer was Mustafa Kemal (1881-1938), also known as Atatürk, the founder of modern Turkey.
Mut f Egyptian MythologyFrom Egyptian
mwt meaning
"mother". In Egyptian mythology she was a mother goddess, the consort of
Amon and the mother of
Khonsu. She was sometimes depicted wearing a headdress with vulture wings.
Mu'tamid m ArabicMeans
"relying on, leaning on" in Arabic. Al-Mu'tamid was a 9th-century Abbasid caliph. This was also the name of an 11th-century Abbadid ruler of Seville, who was a patron of the arts and a poet.
Mutemwiya f Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
mwt-m-wjꜣ meaning
"Mut is in the sacred barque", from the name of the goddess
Mut combined with
wjꜣ "sacred barque" (a boat used to carry the dead to the afterlife). This name was borne by a wife of the pharaoh
Thutmose IV. She was the mother of
Amenhotep III.
Mutnedjmet f Ancient EgyptianFrom Egyptian
mwt-nḏmt meaning
"Mut is sweet", from the name of the goddess
Mut combined with
nḏm "sweet, pleasant". This name was borne by the wife of the pharaoh Horemheb.
Mwangi m Eastern African, KikuyuMeans
"rapid expansion" in Kikuyu. Kikuyu males were traditionally organized into age sets or generations. The
Mwangi generation started around the beginning of the 20th century and lasted for about 30 years.
Myeong m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
明 (myeong) meaning "bright, light, clear" or other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. Although it does appear rarely as a single-character name, it is more often used in combination with another character.
Myeong-Suk f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
明 (myeong) meaning "bright, light, clear" combined with
淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja combinations are possible.
Myfanwy f WelshFrom the Welsh prefix
my- meaning "my, belonging to me" (an older form of
fy) combined with either
manwy meaning "fine, delicate" or
banwy meaning "woman" (a variant of
banw). This was the name of an 1875 Welsh song composed by Joseph Parry.
Myles 2 m Greek MythologyProbably from Greek
μύλη (myle) meaning
"mill". This was the name of a king of Laconia in Greek mythology.
Myra f EnglishCreated by the 17th-century poet Fulke Greville. He possibly based it on Latin
myrra meaning "myrrh" (a fragrant resin obtained from a tree). Otherwise, he may have simply rearranged the letters from the name
Mary. Although unrelated etymologically, this is also the name of an ancient city of Anatolia.
Myrddin m Welsh Mythology, WelshOriginal Welsh form of
Merlin. It is probably ultimately from the name of the Romano-British settlement
Moridunum, derived from Celtic *
mori "sea" and *
dūnom "rampart, hill fort". Prefixed with Welsh
caer "fort", this town has been called Caerfyrddin (Carmarthen in English) from medieval times. It is thought that
Caerfyrddin may have mistakenly been interpreted as meaning "fort of Myrddin", as if
Myrddin were a personal name instead of a later development of
Moridunum.
... [more] Myrna f Irish (Rare), EnglishAnglicized form of
Muirne. The popularity of this name spiked in the United States in the 1930s due to the fame of the actress Myrna Loy (1905-1993).
Myron m English, Ukrainian, Ancient GreekDerived from Greek
μύρον (myron) meaning
"sweet oil, perfume". Myron was the name of a 5th-century BC Greek sculptor. Saints bearing this name include a 3rd-century bishop of Crete and a 4th-century martyr from Cyzicus who was killed by a mob. These saints are more widely revered in the Eastern Church, and the name has generally been more common among Eastern Christians. As an English name, it has been used since the 19th century.
Myrtle f EnglishSimply from the English word
myrtle for the evergreen shrub, ultimately from Greek
μύρτος (myrtos). It was first used as a given name in the 19th century, at the same time many other plant and flower names were coined.